ALMOST 50 per cent of teachers have reported a racist incident in their school or college in the past month, according to a new survey by the Teachers’ Union of Ireland.
The problem of racist abuse among pupils is particularly acute in Dublin, the TUI says. The research indicates a marked increase in racist incidents among Dublin communities where job losses have recently taken place.
Newcomer pupils make up more than 20 per cent of all pupils in about a third of all Dublin schools. The union says cutbacks in language supports is making school life intolerable for many newcomer children.
The survey by Behaviour and Attitudes was conducted among teachers and lecturers on the issue of interculturalism, racism and resources. The TUI is strongly represented in vocational education committee (VEC) schools and in the institutes of technology.
The key findings include:
- 46 per cent of respondents were aware of racist incidents in the school in the past month;
- 32 per cent said they did not have a specific formal procedure to follow if a racist incident occurred in their school or college;
- 28 per cent of teachers taught between four and 10 minority ethnic students in a single class;
- 62 per cent said that support available for teaching English as a second language was inadequate;
- 80 per cent from VEC schools said their school had no access to external translation services;
- 49 per cent of VEC schools did not have a policy on anti-racism and the promotion of interculturalism.
TUI deputy general secretary Annette Dolan said: “While the various cutbacks inflicted on the education sector have had a severe impact on all students, minority ethnic students have been disproportionately hit by Government cutbacks where there is a rapid spiralling downwards of pastoral care support in schools, which now have larger class groups.
“In addition, specific supports for these students have been asset-stripped in the Government’s slash-and-burn approach to education over the past 18 months.”
The TUI says schools with a high number of minority ethnic students should have the services of a dedicated home school community liaison service. It also says schools and colleges should have access to translation/interpretation/cultural mediation services where such services are required for minority ethnic students and their parents or guardians.
